Jaylen Clark Makes Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
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The Bruins' top defender has picked up some recognition on the national stage.
UCLA men's basketball guard Jaylen Clark was one of 15 players named to the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year Watch List on Thursday. The wing is now in contention to be the fourth Bruin to take home the honor, and the first since Marques Johnson in 1977.
Northwestern guard Chase Audige, North Carolina forward Leaky Black, Oklahoma State forward Moussa Cisse, Purdue center Zach Edey, UConn guard Andre Jackson Jr., Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner, Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell, Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr., Mississippi State guard Shakeel Moore, Houston guard Marcus Sasser, Western Kentucky center Jamarion Sharp, Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe and Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler join Clark as the other 14 members of the watch list.
Clark is averaging 13.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 0.3 blocks per game in 19 appearances this season. Clark leads UCLA and the Pac-12 in steal percentage, defensive rating, defensive win shares, defensive box plus/minus and overall box plus/minus.
With a defensive rating of 82.4, Clark has the lowest mark of any Bruin since the stat started being tracked in the 2009-2010 season.
Clark has publicly announced that he is hunting for UCLA's single-season steals record this season, which is currently held by Jordan Adams with 95. The junior out of Etiwanda High School (CA) currently has 51 steals, which means he would be on pace to surpass Adams if the Bruins make the Pac-12 tournament championship game and the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.
After recording seven steals in the season opener, Clark has reached four steals in four other games. Clark has finished with exactly three steals in seven of UCLA's last eight games, and he is averaging 3.1 steals per game since Dec. 10.
Coming into this season, Clark had 10 multi-steal performances across 60 games. This year, he's done so 14 times in 19 appearances.
Clark ranks No. 6 in the country in steals per game, No. 10 in steal percentage, No. 8 in defensive win shares, No. 7 in defensive rating and No. 4 in defensive box plus/minus.
Clark is the main cog on defense for a UCLA team that ranks No. 3 in opponent adjusted points allowed per 100 possessions. The Bruins' defense also ranks No. 1 in the Pac-12 and No. 11 in the country with 59.8 points allowed per game.
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